This June marks the 50th anniversary of Operation Trackshoes (OT), an annual sports festival held in Victoria for BC residents with a developmental disability.
Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCS) has been sending their team, the Sea to Sky Eagles for over 20 years and the excitement is high for this year’s event and celebration.
Operation Trackshoes takes place at the University of Victoria from Friday, June 9 to Sunday, June 11. In a press release, the Eagles said the weekend is packed full of fun with dances, banquets, softball, swimming, and games on top of a full track and field meet. For the sports events, the teams proudly display their team banners as they join a parade into the field lead by a bagpiper. The events run all Saturday and continue Sunday morning, with everyone collecting ribbons for their efforts. Trophies are presented at the end of the meet.
SSCS sends one of the largest teams with athletes from Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton, along with SSCS staff, and the Sea to Sky Eagles have been awarded several trophies over the years. Attending Operation Trackshoes feels like going off to summer camp, with counsellors for the athletes and the staff acting as coaches. Most participants, counsellors, and coaches stay on site in the UVic dorms which makes for a very full weekend experience, Eagles said.
“This year we are sending three full vans, and everyone is looking forward to the excitement of a ferry ride. The athletes proudly wear their blue team uniforms and talk about the event all year long. SSCS covers the cost of staff and transportation and the Sea to Sky Eagles fundraise to offset the cost for each athlete to attend the event.
Any donations are gratefully accepted and can be done online at https://www.sscs.ca/waysto-help/. By specifying Community Living Services and Operation Trackshoes, the money will go directly to supporting the athletes.
